Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson before their meeting at at the Great Hall of the People on March 19, 2017 in Beijing, China. REUTERS/Lintao Zhang/Pool

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met President Xi Jinping of China for 30 minutes on Sunday in Beijing and told him that U.S. President Donald Trump anticipates a meeting “soon,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

Xi and Tillerson agreed that opportunities existed for greater cooperation between the two countries, though differences remain, Toner said. Tillerson ended his first trip to Asia since taking office with an agreement to work with China on North Korea.